Miss Independent
by sully vann
Summary: Cinderfella meets Miss Independent.


Miss Independent  
  
Miranda/Larry  
  
PG  
  
Summary: Cinderfella meets Miss Independent.  
  
***  
  
"Having a good time?" Miranda asked one of her many guests, in-between sips of her drink.  
  
"Yeah, did you mix this CD yourself? It rocks!" The girl answered with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, I did. Thanks." Miranda turned to Lizzie and a guy near the stairs caught her eye.  
  
"Hey, who's Mr. Hottie?" Miranda grinned as she decided if Lizzie wasn't going to tell her, she'd find out for herself.  
  
***  
  
Miss independent  
  
Miss self-sufficient  
  
Miss keep your distance  
  
Miss unafraid  
  
Miss out of my way  
  
***  
  
"This is my cousin----uhm---" Gordo stumbled as Miranda locked eyes with the tall, blonde-tipped guy.  
  
"Alexander." The guy said confidently.  
  
***  
  
Miss don't let a man interfere  
  
Miss on her own  
  
Miss almost grown  
  
Miss never let a man help her off her throne  
  
So, by keeping her heart protected  
  
She'd never ever feel rejected  
  
Little miss apprehensive  
  
Said ooh, she fell in love  
  
***  
  
"Want to dance?" He asked, taking Miranda's hand and she found herself being led to the part of her basement that had been cleared for dancing.  
  
"So, where do you go to school?"  
  
"Hillridge."  
  
"Really? 'Cause if I knew you, you'd definitely have been invited." Miranda said, smiling slowly.  
  
***  
  
What is the feelin' takin' over?  
  
Thinkin' no one could open my door  
  
Surprise...It's time  
  
To feel what's real  
  
What happened to Miss Independent?  
  
No more the need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye, old you  
  
When love is true  
  
*** "Hi, Miranda." Alexander slipped off his sunglasses to reveal a familiar face.  
  
Tudgeman.  
  
Miranda screamed.  
  
***  
  
Misguided heart  
  
Miss play it smart  
  
Miss if you want to use that line you better not start, no  
  
But she miscalculated  
  
She didn't want to end up jaded  
  
***  
  
"Is this your idea of a JOKE?" Miranda cried as she dragged Tudgeman over to her two best friends, no doubt in her mind that they were behind this.  
  
"No, we just thought---" Lizzie started.  
  
"We thought if we disguised him and he got to come, everyone would be happy." Gordo jumped in.  
  
"Well, you were wrong." Miranda said, her words cutting the silence. "Because he shouldn't have to hide." She said, looking up at Tudgeman. "I should have invited you in the beginning."  
  
***  
  
"Come on, you can tell me all about your Star Flip meetings." Miranda smiled, tugging on Larry's arm.  
  
***  
  
And this miss decided not to miss out on true love  
  
So, by changing her misconceptions  
  
She went in a new direction  
  
And found inside she felt a connection  
  
She fell in love  
  
***  
  
"I'm going to go get some more chips---" Miranda said, stopping Larry suddenly.  
  
Miranda shook her head as she made her way through the crowd and u the stairs into the bathroom next to her bedroom.  
  
***  
  
When Miss Independence walked away  
  
No time for love that came her way  
  
She looked in the mirror and thought today  
  
What happened to miss no longer afraid?  
  
It took some time for her to see  
  
How beautiful love could truly be  
  
No more talk of why can't that be me  
  
I'm so glad I finally feel...  
  
***  
  
"Ok, this is your chance, Sanchez. No more moping over how obvious it is Lizzie and Gordo will EVENTUALLY get together, even if they do it Titanic style."  
  
Miranda stared at herself in the mirror a few seconds more before nodding her head defiantly and making her way back to her party.  
  
***  
  
What is the feelin' takin' over?  
  
Thinkin' no one could open my door  
  
Surprise (surprise), it's time (yeah)  
  
To feel (to feel) what's real  
  
What happened to Miss Independent?  
  
No more the need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye, old you  
  
When love, when love is true...  
  
***  
  
"Thanks for helping me clean up, guys." Miranda smiled up at her two closest friends and her new---something---as she tied the last knot on the last trash bag.  
  
"Lizzie? Gordo? Gordo's mom is here!" Mrs. Sanchez called from the top of the basement stairs.  
  
"Need a ride, Larry?" Gordo asked as the couple made their way to the stairs.  
  
"No, I'm alright, my mom should be here soon."  
  
Gordo nodded and Lizzie hugged Miranda, whispering in her ear that she wanted to know everything tomorrow.  
  
"So---this was fun." Larry smiled as Miranda sat on one of the stools, drinking the last of her Coke.  
  
"I turned out better than I thought---all because you were here."  
  
"What do you mean?" Larry asked, sitting next to Miranda. "I'm sure you would have had just as much fun without my performance."  
  
"No, not because of that---because I learned a lot about you tonight---and myself." Miranda said licking her lips nervously.  
  
"Did you like what you learned?" Larry asked. "I hope so, because these pants are really uncomfortable, so they better have made some sort of impression." Larry laughed and Miranda smiled easily.  
  
"No, it wasn't about what you were wearing. I learned that I like you---a lot more than I ever thought I could." Miranda answered truthfully, her gaze falling to the floor.  
  
"And despite this ridiculous outfit and the fact that I won't have my normal hair color back for at least a week---I'm glad that I got to come." Larry said, putting his hand on Miranda's.  
  
Miranda gaze shifted to the two hands on the countertop, and when she looked up to talk again, Larry leaned in a pressed his lips against hers--- not hard, but not softly either.  
  
"Larry!"  
  
Mrs. Sanchez's voice broke the moment, and the kiss.  
  
"Your dad is here!" Miranda's mom continued.  
  
"I'll be right up. Thank you!" Larry called, then turned back to Miranda.  
  
"So I'll see you Monday?" He said.  
  
"That depends. Will I see YOU or Alexander?" Miranda asked.  
  
"Uhm---" Larry's brow furrowed as he struggled for the right answer.  
  
"I hope it's just you, Larry." Miranda said, kissing his cheek softly. "That's who I like---I just liked Alex's clothes." She grinned up at Larry and he grinned back, both glad that as Gordo put it, Cinderfella had made it to the ball.  
  
***  
  
What happened to Miss Independent?  
  
No more the need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye, old you  
  
When love, when love is true...  
  
*** 


End file.
